The UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has asked the Paschimanchal (Meerut) discom to send a status report on the steps it was expected to take with regard to erecting infrastructure to supply electricity in Greater Noida.
The UPERC while issuing a parallel power distribution licence for Greater Noida had asked the Meerut discom to inform it within six months of issuance of the licence, as to what arrangements it had made to supply power to people there. The Noida Power Company Ltd (NPCL) a, private group, is another licencee already supplying power in Greater Noida for last one decade and half.
With the Meerut discom also obtaining a parallel licence around six months ago, people of the city are expected to have a choice of buying power from any of the two licencees (First city to have this facility). The discom has, however, not submitted the status report though the regulator had written to it over a fortnight ago. According to sources, the discom has not initiated any work worth reporting to the UPERC.
On the other hand the fate of the parallel licence continues to hang in the balance. The NPCL had challenge the UPERC’s decision to grant the parallel licence to the Meerut discom, in the Electricity Appellate Tribunal. It had argued that Meerut discom did not qualify the conditions requited for issuing a parallel distribution licence. The NPCL alleged that the UPERC did not listen to its arguments properly before grant of the licence. Now, the matter is pending before the Tribunal for disposal.
{{/usCountry}}On the other hand the fate of the parallel licence continues to hang in the balance. The NPCL had challenge the UPERC’s decision to grant the parallel licence to the Meerut discom, in the Electricity Appellate Tribunal. It had argued that Meerut discom did not qualify the conditions requited for issuing a parallel distribution licence. The NPCL alleged that the UPERC did not listen to its arguments properly before grant of the licence. Now, the matter is pending before the Tribunal for disposal.
{{/usCountry}}Similarly, a case in which the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) has sought cancellation of the NPCL’s licence is pending in the High Court. The UPCPL has decided to stop selling power to the NPCL and asked the UPERC to cancel/suspend NPCL licence for Greater Noida.The NPLC later challenged the UPPCL’s plea in the High Court which asked it to continue to sell power to the NPCL till the court decided the matter. The sources said the arguments of the NPCL represented by the leading lawyer Shanti Bhushan had concluded and the Court (Lucknow Bench) might issue the judgment soon.
“This is because of all these uncertainties that the Meerut discom is not able to focus on the initiation of work in Greater Noida despite having obtained a parallel distribution licence,” sources pointed out.